The Jar of Destiny always hands us a challenge that makes us rethink our approach to brewing. For this round, I pulled Style 32A: Classic Style Smoked Beer. With so many options to explore, I decided to craft a smoked porter inspired by the iconic Alaskan Smoked Porter. To up the ante, I took a DIY approach and smoked my own malt at home. Here’s how it all came together and what we thought of the final brew.

Alaskan Smoked Porter Recipe

This is the recipe I followed for my version of this beer. There are a few homespun elements to it.

I did smoke 2 pounds of the base malt in my backyard using Alder wood chips. First off, I let the chips soak in water overnight. Then, I assembled my two clay pot smoker setup with the electric burner on the bottom. With the burner set to high, I put a pie plate on top of it with the soaked wood chips on top of it. Lastly, I wrapped a grill grate with metal window screen material and put the base malt on top of it. The process took about two and a half hour, which was longer than planned, but the result was worth it.

DIY homemade smoker using top clay flower pots and an electric burner.
My DIY smoker!

The hops I used were homegrown. You don’t have to brew with homegrown hops. Use store bought Galena or Chinook.

Here’s the recipe for a 5 gallon batch:

Water: 

Spring water with 4 grams of gypsum

Grains:

8.0 lbs (3.6 kg) Rahr American 2-row Malt
2.0 lbs (0.9 kg) Smoked Malt (Home Smoked)
1.0 lbs (0.45 kg) 60°L Crystal Malt 
0.5 lbs (226 g) Pale Chocolate Malt
0.5 lbs (226 g) Black Patent Malt

Hops:

1.5 oz (42 g) Magnum hops, 16% AA. (60 minutes)

Yeast:

1 packet of CellarScience Cali American Ale Dry Yeast

Instructions:

Mash grains at 152° F (67° C). Boiled for 75 minutes, adding the hops so that they boil for 60 minutes 

Fermented at 62°F (17°C) for a week then ramped it up to 70°F (21°C) until krausen dropped.

Original Gravity: 1.065
Final Gravity: 1.014
ABV: 6.7%
IBU: 45

Subtle Smoke and Deep Complexity

The finished beer surprised us with its balance and complexity. While some smoked beers can overwhelm with a campfire-like intensity, this porter strikes a harmonious note. On the nose, there’s a hint of smoke, almost like smoked almonds, complemented by aromas of milk chocolate and roasted malt. The flavor follows suit, with layers of caramel, dark chocolate, and just a whisper of smoke on the finish. It’s approachable, dynamic, and fairly intriguing.

While it might not win over strict style judges looking for dominant smoke, this beer excels as a winter warmer that’s both comforting and complex. The subtle smokiness enhances rather than overpowers the base porter, making it a beer we’ll happily enjoy all season long.

Thank you Jar for the smoked beer challenge. Thank you reader for your attention.

Brew ON!